The Dwarf and the Elf
by Psykotic101
Summary: Neo was never accepted, not even among her kin. after being cast out and abandoned, can she ever find a place to belong and a family?


The heat from the forge spread across Ruby's forehead, forcing her to stop her work to wipe her brow. She had been working on the blade for the better part of her day, and she was starting to get hungry. Finishing working the blade, she quickly quenched it, letting it harden, before pulling it out and running a file over it. Seeing the file skip over the blade, not bite into it, she sighed in relief, putting the near finished blade on the anvil to cool, before heading into her small home to grab some supper.

Everyone who knew Ruby could never quite figure out how she was able to stay so small. At 3'8", she

was small even by dwarf standards, yet she ate more than any dwarf. In fact, most of her income went

into her food budget, though with her wares selling for what they did, she had plenty to get food, materials for the forge, and still have a decent sum to save.

Entering the small-again by dwarf standards-house, she quickly headed into the cellar, where ice kept

the perishable foods cold, increasing the time they could be stored. She was always glad to have

befriended the human merchant and her sister, both with an unhealthy obsession with white. Before,

she had to go into town every few days, but now she could spend weeks in her forge without having to

worry about food.

Grabbing a 'small' rack of ribs, a squash, and tankard of milk, Ruby never liked the taste of ale, unlike

her sister, who seemed to live off the stuff, she went up stairs to start cooking. Lighting the fire place

with quick practiced ease, she began to season the meat, putting salt, pepper and other spices before

setting it on the grill, homemade for this exact purpose. Quickly doing the same to the squash, she set

in a pot of water, planning to boil the vegetable, before a the bell she had set up-with help from her

Khajit friend-rang. It only did so when someone triggered a primitive pressure plate, or a trip wire, of

which the solitary dwarf had set in the forest around her clearing. Grabbing the closest thing on hand,

a large farm scythe, she rushed out of the hut.

* * *

Neo grumbled as yet another branch hit her across the face. She had thought she'd be able to get through the forest without trouble, but apparently, she had picked the only forest that lacked any path. It could be worse, she reasoned. She could be an average elf. While the average elf normally stood at just over 6'8", Neo had what the humans called 'dwarfism', a term they used for things who were shorter than average. Neo stood just over 4' 9", making her barely the size of an eight year old elf child. Add in her damaged vocal cords that prevented her from speaking and she was deemed a burden by her kin. She was exiled. Even her militaristic clan was not so cold as to execute their own.

So she traveled east, hoping to enter the human village there. This time, she lacked any form of money or food, and her lack of speech made communicating with the humans troublesome, requiring her to dig within the trash, steal from livestock, or on rare occasion, steal from the humans. Of course they found her. After all, who else was the size of a child with pointed ears. Half-elves, beings that were both human and elf, stood above 5ft. So the humans ran her out, forcing her into the forest that was the border between the elves, humans, and dwarfs.

Having no other choice, she decided to live there. She lived on the streets as a child, how hard could a forest be as an adult elf? Very, she decided. Her small stature prevented her from climbing trees as swiftly as her kin, her extravagant choice of clothes keep getting caught on branches, trees, and all manner of other obstructions. She regretted not leaving her village with the hunters, as she had no idea what berries were safe to eat, how to sneak up on animals, or even how to start a fire. Because of these 'failures' she was severely malnourished, and she suspected that the water she had drank a few days ago was not fresh, as she was very sick.

As she searched for a place to spend the night, she tripped, causing a wrenching pain to erupt in her ankle. Rolling onto her back, she was horrified to discover that it was a line of string that she had tripped on. Such a thing was normal practice for bandits and slavers, and in her state, she would be unable to resist at all should they find her. Her ankle prevented her from doing any sort of movement other than crawl, which in the thick forest would be slow and easily tracked. Her only hope was that she would be taken by slavers. At least then she could survive. If they were bandits, they would most likely take everything she owned, before using her for however long they wanted. Maybe hours, maybe months. Perhaps even years. She had heard stories of women being kept for their entire lives, before finally being slaughtered. She had no desire to live such a life.

As the corners of her vision blacked, likely due to the stress of the situation and her physical state, she could hear the footfalls of someone quickly approaching. Panicking, Neo attempted to crawl towards a branch, a rock, something she could use to defend her self, she didn't get very far before she was flipped over harshly. The sudden pain in her ankle made cry out in pain and fear, though no sound was made. With the blackness closing in, she just barely saw red cloak and silver eyes.

* * *

Neo's heterochromian eyes fluttered open. The first thing she noticed was that she was not staring at an open sky or a tree branch, but a proper roof. Blinking a few times to ensure that what she was seeing was in fact real, she sot up with a start. She had tripped on a tripwire, damaging her ankle, and was captured by a bandit in red. The acknowledgment of her ankle brought about a jolt of pain, though noticeably less then before. Glancing down at it, she had to do a double take, as her injury was wrapped in a gauze and some twine.

After takings few minutes to steady her breathe, the elf decided to look around the room. The room itself was rather small, having a bed that she was taller then it was long, a small table that just barely reached her thighs and looked to only seat a single person off to the right, and an open fireplace in the center of the room. Numerous pans, grills, pots and other kitchen implements hung within arms reach of the fireplace, with a small rocking chair and end table not faraway. A sturdy trapdoor was built into the floor, most likely to the cellar, towards the left and behind it stood a well worn door.

She tapped her left leg on the floor, a nice carpet covering the wooden floorboards, she quickly tested her ankle's ability to support her weight. As soon as it hit the floor, a bolt of pain rocketed up her leg, forcing her to bite back a soundless cry of pain. Looking around for something to support her left side, she spotted a carved staff, three inches in circumference and as tall as her. Grabbing it and putting a small protein or her weight on it, she was satisfied that it would hold her, and made her way towards the door.

As she approached the door, she became faintly aware of a faint ringing, almost rhythmic in nature. Opening the door cause a dramatic increase in the sounds volume, though it kept it's steady pace. Straight ahead of her, she found the source of the ringing.

Standing beside an anvil that was nearly as tall as the user, stood a small dwarf, her short brown hair glistening with sweat, accentuating the red fringes at the ends of the hair. She wore a simple pair black and red pants, along with a simple top of the same colour that left her arms exposed, yet covered the rest of her. A corset with a similar colour scheme was fastened around her torso, likely to keep the lose ends from waving into the flames of her furnace.

Neo only caught herself staring when the door behind her closed with a bang, causing her to jump slightly and making the blacksmith turn at the noise. Now facing her, Neo could see the red craftsman's apron that covered the dwarf's front, spotless save for a few dark spots, likely from the coal of the furnace. Her eyes were a beautiful and exotic silver, something even rarer the Neo's one eye colours.

"Oh, ye awake." The craftswoman was the first to break the silence, throwing the now ruined ax head into the scrap pile. "I'd expected ye to be asleep fer longer, what with the lack of food in ye belly. Ah, but where're my manners. I'm Ruby Rose, owner of this here clearing."

Neo could only gawk at the newly named Ruby. After all, who would have expected such a small girl would speak in a much higher pitch and be playing in the forest, not talking in a thick accent and standing above an anvil.

Ruby chuckled. "Don't talk much, do ye? Ah that's fine, I just want to know what yer doing round these parts. Ye seem like one of them city folk."

Neo quickly signed that she was lost, before panicking. She had no idea if the dwarf even knew that mutes were a thing, let alone read sign. To her surprise, Ruby's gaze hardened before replying.

"If that were true, I'd be getting a wee bit more visitors. I'll ask ye once more. What're ye doing here."

Surprised that the dwarf in the middle of nowhere could read sign, the elf quickly singed as fast as she could, fear of the blacksmith causing her to twist her fingers, messing up the signs.

"Whoa there lass." Ruby put her hand up to stop Neo. "I'm not gonna attack ye, I just wanna know why your in my neck o' the woods?" It took a minute, but the elf did collect herself and told her story. And the dwarf paid attention through all of it.

"Well, seems that ye had a couple ruff weeks, aye lass?" Ruby said with a smirk. "Ye know, if ye want ta help out 'round here, I'd be then willing ta let ye stay." Neo would have jumped straight into the air, had the pain in her ankle stopped her from taking off. Steadying herself on the staff, she resorted to nodding furiously, so fast that Ruby thought her neck might snap.

Giving a hearty laugh, the blacksmith took off her apron and hung it on a hook, before walking towards the hut.

"Well, come on. Suns gonna set soon. Best we get supper started before." Neo only nodded before stepping towards the door, stopping to take a breath, before taking the last step towards her new life.

* * *

It had been a few years since Neo had met Ruby, and she thought they were the best years of her life. Finally she had someone that didn't look down on her for being smaller then the rest, rather, the dwarf looked up, a proper house to live in, and mountains of food everyday, but she had found love. Yes, the short elf had fallen for the even shorter dwarf. So badly that every night, when she when to the separate hut that Ruby had built her, she almost had to hold back tears at the separation. The times when Ruby went into town were even worse, as she was often gone for 2-3.

The time with Neo was good for Ruby as well. Before she was a recluse, even for a dwarf, a race that avoided contact with the others as much as possible. Now, she was peppy, willing to engage in conversation with other travelers then just the obligatory "Hallo". As she never enjoyed the taste of even smell of Ale, she never went to her sister's tavern, the boisterous blonde had opened up around the time Ruby stated her smithing business. With her monthly visits to the village, her sister, a dwarf-human hybrid from the west named Yang, was able to corral the two merchant sisters, Weiss and Winter, and Blake, a Khajit druid that lived on the nearby mountains, in her tavern along with Ruby, leading to a night of celebration that led the former adventurers to a hangover the could bring down a dragon, save Ruby, and Blake writing furiously in her notepad, muttering things about "Freezerburn" when Weiss and Yang were mysteriously absent the following morning.

Such events had happened many times over the years, with Neo joining them every now and then but for the most part when Ruby went into town, it was to sell her wares, along with buying food and materials. With Neo doing the minuscule tasks around the clearing, Ruby was free to spend more time over the anvil, increases the profit she earned, and that the money she was able to save.

Ruby was returning after one such trip, traveling the well worn path that she had made after years of hauling a pack alnong the same route, when she noticed something disturbing. After all the time she spent her, the birds had grown used to her, and chirped on greeting whenever she passed by. Today however, they were silent, as tho they never existed in the first place. She came to the conclusion that they had simply migrated, before shaking her head to rid her self of such a notion. It was the middle of summer, there was no need for them to leave. That left only one other option. Some they didn't know was at her clearing. Switching the pack to a more comfortable position, she set off once more, moving with more urgency she didn't have before.

As she neared, she could she the trees that bordered the clearing had been damaged, as if someone had swung a sword a them in anger. Not wanting to risk being seen, she crouched low, drawing a sword from her side, and crept towards to extinguished forge. Sneaking her way in the back, she removed her pack as quietly as possible, before continuing around the hut she called home. As she neared the front, she could hear snippets of Orc voices, arguing and insulting each other. Finally she got close enough to hear a full exchange.

"Anyting good?"

"Naw, just junks."

"Where da goods at den!?"

"I's dunno, maybe if ya help me look, we'd find more stuffs!"

Ruby, drew in a short breath as the two continued to argue. Orc Bandits weren't the brightest ever, but they were strong. Maybe if she could get onto the roof then-

"Oie! Look wat I's gots!"

"Wats ya got dere?"

"Oh, is dat a elf!"

"Sure is, pretty little ting to. Would make a nice toy." Ruby heard no more, as she rushed from her hiding place towards the Orcs, blood boiling.

* * *

Neo was terrified. She had finished the laundry for both her and Ruby, she stole a pair of the latter's small clothes, and was hanging them up, when she heard the boisterous voices of the Orcs. Dropping the clothes, she immediately ran into her small hut, intent on hiding. It wasn't meant to happen. Within minutes, two orcs, one with an axe and the other with a crossbow, knocked down the door, revelig her hiding place. While the crossbow orc stayed to look for stuffs, the axe wielding orc grabbed her by her hair, causing her eyes to water, her mute voice to let out a cry of pain, and her hands to try to pry the orc off of her. Alas, she was much slammer then the orc, and its grip stayed firmly on her hair as it dragged her towards the main hut.

"Oie! Look wat I's gots!" 'Please don't let there be more' Neo begged what ever god was looking down on her, but it appears the gods had forsaken her.

"Wats ya got dere?"

"Oh, is dat a elf!"

"Sure is, pretty little ting to. Would make a nice toy." Neo redoubled her efforts to escape, frantically tugging at her captor's hand, try to get him to release his grip, or rip her hair. The orc noticed and lifted her, causing a silent cry to erupt form her lips, preparing to smack the elf, when an audible cry of pain came from behind him, startling him enough to drop Neo and whirl around. Neo immediately crawled back the instant she it the ground, looking up at her savior with a gasp.

There stood Ruby, standing over the body of a dead orc, sword in her hands dripping with blood. That was surprising, Ruby had told her of her former adventuring days. No what shocked her was the look of sheer hatred she had never even thought Ruby was capable of. Weather she was angry, sad, or disgusted, the dwarf's eyes always held a kindness she was sure would never leave then. Now though, Neo could see no kindness, just pure hatred.

For their part, the orcs were quick to react, drawing their axes and rushing the dwarf. Dodging the first axe strike, she was forced to parry the other with her sword, jabbing the orc in the stomach as she did so. The air was forced from the orcs lungs, giving ruby enough time to duck as the first orc swung horizontally, cleaving through both the space Ruby's head occupied and the winded orc's head. Spinning around Ruby, was just able to get a small slash off at the orcs torso, but this one wore armour, allowing him to release hi axe and bring his arm down, attempting to stun Ruby with a blow to the head. Diving thru the orcs legs, she spun around and cut into the less armoured tendons in the legs of the orc. With a cry a pain, he fell to his knees, only to be silenced by the a blade protruding from his forehead.

Ruby, bloodied and panting from the fight, stood just in time too see the 4th orc raise his crossbow and take aim at Neo. As the bolt was released, Ruby panicked, rushing to neo and pushing her out of the way, the bolt that was aimed for the elf striking her in the right breast. Time seemed to slow for Ruby, as she looked down and the bolt stuck in her chest, before collapsing backwards, a muffled voice screaming all the while.

* * *

Neo was in shock. Ruby had just finished off the three orcs before rush towards her shoving her harshly in the process. Not even a second went by before the bolt inpacted Ruby, causing her to fall backwards. Neo screamed, not her normal silent one, but a hoarse cry of extreme pain that made all who her it think of a dying cat. Had she been in a more rational mind, she would have stopped, as continuing could possibly harm her neck, preventing her from swallowing. Yet, her love had just been shot before her, the elf's thoughts were solely occupied by Ruby. Turning towards the orc she stuck her arm on by instinct, unleashing a blast of lightning into the green skinned being. This did not kill him, tho it caused a chain reaction with the single cloud in the sky, causing a natural bolt on lightning, much more powerful then a magical one, to race down, striking the fried orc, extinguishing his life, stopping and starting his heart many hundreds of times a second, before finally stopping, letting the smoking orc fall unceremoniously to the charred earth around him.

Neo didnt see this, as she was to busy fretting over Ruby, to which the dwarf just sighed.

"I'm sorry lass, I'm not long for this world anymore. Can ye listen to this dwarf's last request?" Neo nodded furiously, reminding Ruby of that first day in the forge. "I've done may a thing that should be handed with care, but none of those matter more then. Neo, will ye do me the honour of being my wife?" as she spoke, Ruby had slowly taken out the small wooden box, with her hand, one that Neo immediately grabbed.

Within the small box were two rings, each with a small ruby surrounded by opals, sitting on a nice blue velvet cloth. Sitting shocked, so much that she almost forgot that the one who proposed lay dying, Neo opened her lips, and forced the single word she would ever speak.

"Yes." it came out hoarse and scratchy, but it was legible. Rushing forward to take Ruby's lips in her own, Neo savored the first kiss the two had shared. Pulling away with a massive smile on her face, she looked down at Ruby, who also wore a smile, thouogh much smaller and more pain filled.

"I'm… I'm glad." and with that Ruby stopped holding her head up, closed her eyes and let Moradin take her. Neo's smile immediately fell, adopting a terrified expression, as she furiously tried to shake her new wife awake, only to be pulled into an embrace by Yang, who had traveled with Weiss, Winter and Blake to witness the proposal. Weiss was softly crying within her sister's arms, the elder attemping to hold a stoic expression, yet if one looked closely, they would see tears welling up within the corners of her eyes. Blake stood behind, preforming some drudic prayer. Yang held on to Neo tears flowing,but not allowing anymore to flow, as the recently widowed elf cried, a terrifying sound that sounded like a banshee crying for its child.

 **Damn, this took a while. First off, this is an apology story for those disappointed in _The Chersire Smile_ I hope is is good enough. Second, chapters should be coming much more frequently, as I have English as my first class, then I have 2hrs of free time, so I'm in the mood to write then. Third, I've been working with NeoNazo on a RWBY SI(self insert) story. I know that there are a lot already, but I feel that the changes that we've made will make it a more interesting story then the standard format that's already out there. Ladybug is still my favourite RWBY pairing, but I've been in a Cookies and Cream mood this week. This is also my first real attempt at romance, so yeah...**

 **As always, review, be brutally honest, and I'll see ya in the next chapter.**


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